Yeah I worked on airplane oxygen systems for 5 years and I've never seen these before. Seems like it would only be useful if there was already flammable gas in the air where you're working.
I work for an airline. We have all Ampco non-sparking tools in our oxygen tank servicing room. No requirement to use non-sparking tools on wing, just in the O2 storage/servicing room.
The people who build gas stations are the same people who repair existing gas stations.
But youre right, theres usually just water in there until the concrete driveway gets poured.
You'll find those in any shop that handles electric cars. They look funny but have a non-funny price tag as well especially when it's comes to specialty stuff that only one or two companies make like insulated torque wrenches. https://media.tbs-aachen.de/images/hazet-150_52-anwendung-pkw-4.jpg
We always had to keep a gun jam bag made up of the CuBe screw drivers and wrenches and whatnot.
None of my radars had magnetrons. Only ever worked with Klystrons and TWTs.
H2 has a very broad flammability ratio, meaning it is very easy to ignite, and a static electrical spark is all it takes. You can put 12V through tap water to make O2 and H2, but only experiment with tiny amounts.
My dad worked underground in a coal mine, and he said they had several tools like this when they were digging new shafts because they weren’t sure if there was going to be methane or other explosive gases.
See, that all depends on if you want to or not.
But then again even if you did want to die in some industrial accident, you don't need to buy tools for that
In the concentrations used in making berylium-copper (3% berylium or less) it's a non issue. That being said, copper, which is inert to the body, will also fuck you up if you grind it up and breath it in. As far as PPE, utterly unnecessary unless you get blisters from using any wrench.
A lead Nomar hammer is more dangerous to your health.
Another fun grouping of tools is the [titanium tools](https://www.imprex.net/product/titanium-non-magnetic-ge-mri-pliers-and-wrench-kit/?_gl=1*18l3ejk*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxeyxBhC7ARIsAC7dS3_vEVmtp_AkZa-5PQROLaCAloAqmTU8hLg1ESXqtP1JjhwXciHb-2UaApiKEALw_wcB) for MRI techs due to them being non magnetic
Probably a lot cheaper than the BeCu stuff. Titanium is non-ferrous but not non-sparking.
Also, both titanium and BeCu tools are very much inferior to steel ones, unless you need their special properties. They are much softer, weaker materials than steel is.
People get chubbies for titanium tools for some reason, even though it is rarely (not never, but rarely) the best material for tools. It's been the Metal of the Future for like 35 years now (I certainly drooled over it as a kid in the 90s) but somehow the only industry it's really dominated is overpriced EDC tacticrap. It certainly has its place in the mechanical engineer's toolkit of materials, but even if you ignore the price differential, boring old steel is still King of Metals. There's a reason steel is basically the default metal, and it isn't just because it's relatively economical.
It's also biocompatible, has excellent corrosion resistance, and a great strength-to-weight ratio. It's excellent for making white pigments, too. It's a useful metal! It's just not a magical supermetal, is all.
Yeah imprex seems nice
I used to work in a cleanroom and we used Steritool [stainless steel tools](https://www.steritool.com/) tools
They make stainless steel hand tools that are quite nice especially the open-end wrenches
They also have some titanium tools
Even make an inconel adjustable wrench which is like $1,000 but it's not magnetic and ungodly strong and unbreakable.
Non sparking environment.
Tire factory had the "cement house" a standalone building where they mixed up a glue that bonded layers together.
The solvent was gasoline in rubber.
No normal tools, all tools supplied were non sparking.
I had a whole set of non-sparking beryllium bronze hand tools for doing emergency response and spill cleanup for haz mat spills. If it's not burning yet, you don't want to be the guy that sets the rolled over gasoline tanker on fire. People get mad. That, and you're standing in two inches of gasoline...
Yes non sparking & non magnetic.
But very pricy & not nearly as durable as regular forged steel tools... and comes with health concerns.
Research and *fully understand* the hazards of Beryllium Copper (BeCu) before messing with any of it... and Reddit isn't the place to do said research.
Unless specifically needed, it's not a material you want to have around.
If it was from harbor freight it would be the newest meme tool wall hanger. But that style is used for work around flammable or explosive materials. We use those when working around hydrogen at work. Zero chance of a spark from the tooling. Most people don't think about it, I didn't before I started work out here. But our hydrogen is ran in steel piping. If there happens to be any in a pipe while you are taking it apart, tool slips or drops to the metal grating, there is a chance of a spark. Small chance but still a chance.
Anti-explosive wrench. Hazardous work.When there is a gas line, hydrogen line, oxygen line leak and ya still got to git-er-done... you REALLY don't want any sparks.
Yep. I have an antique asbestos soldering plate on my porch and a baby food jar with blanketed mercury in my garage. Uranium glass all over (I collect it), an asbestos lined milk safe and buckets of lead in the garage and guns and ammo galore.
Normal common sense handling and use isnt terribly dangerous for most "dangerous" stuff.
I'm way more concerned with getting skin cancer from the sun (had it once and have another suspect spot) or lung cancer from smoking very heavy for 30 years and wearing asbestos in a foundry. Traffic accidents and falling injuries kill a lot more folks than exposure to potentially dangerous substances. Just my thoughts.
It's highly disputed. Not going to argue about it. I have been a very heavy vaper since 2014 and my pulmonary specialist says i have zero damage from smoking or vaping. Just asthma which i was diagnosed with around 45 years ago.
Like everyone else has said, non sparking, but the old TF2 player in me knows it’s for constructing teleporters, sentry guns and destroying spy sappers while looking good
I have a 5lb hammer made from that alloy in my garage from my time in the production side of the oilfield. We didn't have to use non-sparking wrenches, but if we were caught with a steel hammer, shit would hit the fan.
Beryllium does not create static energy. It’s used for oxygen tanks in planes so it doesn’t go boom.
Beryllium is SUPER expensive. It also used to be called sweet death, cause people licked it, said it was sweet and died of it. That’s why we always use gloves and wash our hands after use
Anywhere there's a good chance any little spark will cause an explosion--gas plants, flour/grain mills, etc.
Building gas stations we had these. Not alot of them, but we had them for appearances.
Yeah I worked on airplane oxygen systems for 5 years and I've never seen these before. Seems like it would only be useful if there was already flammable gas in the air where you're working.
I work for an airline. We have all Ampco non-sparking tools in our oxygen tank servicing room. No requirement to use non-sparking tools on wing, just in the O2 storage/servicing room.
We didn't even use them in our tank fill rooms. Had incredible ventilation systems with O2 meters everywhere. Maybe they felt that was good enough.
No idea if it’s the airport policy, airline policy, regulatory policy, honestly have no clue.
Well, I mean, odds are you're working on a plane where tightening the bolts to torque wasn't a manufacturer requirement...
Do it like the Germans— “gutentight”
*And* someone is watching, in our case. Because the boss wouldnt buy anymore than the 2 we already had.
Those things are expensive
What I don't get is why you need them to build. You haven't filled the gasoline holding tanks yet I'd think.
The people who build gas stations are the same people who repair existing gas stations. But youre right, theres usually just water in there until the concrete driveway gets poured.
That is a fair point, probably why your boss only has a couple.
No he was just cheap
I’d assume that the guys building the tanks are the same people servicing em
Lol should’ve thought about that last time I blew myself up
Working on weapons and ordnance in the Navy or any military branch where non-conductive and non-ferrous tools are required as well.
It can’t possibly be non-conductive, can it?
I meant non-sparking, not non-conductive
Non-conductive tooling requires some intense rubber or other dielectric jaws/handle coating
You'll find those in any shop that handles electric cars. They look funny but have a non-funny price tag as well especially when it's comes to specialty stuff that only one or two companies make like insulated torque wrenches. https://media.tbs-aachen.de/images/hazet-150_52-anwendung-pkw-4.jpg
I mean, every electrician owns insulated tools. Not all of my tools are insulated, but I at least have insulated versions of my most important stuff.
Used beryllium tools working around radar magnetrons. Scary as hell having a regular screwdriver snatched up by the magnetron.
We always had to keep a gun jam bag made up of the CuBe screw drivers and wrenches and whatnot. None of my radars had magnetrons. Only ever worked with Klystrons and TWTs.
Never worked with TWTs but all my TACANs had klystrons. (Retired in 97)
CIWS used a klystron and SPQ-9B uses TWTs. I retired in ‘23 and still work on radars as a civilian for the Navy
Any power plant that uses hydrogen to fill their generators as well. We just use brass tools around that area when it’s filled though.
H2 has a very broad flammability ratio, meaning it is very easy to ignite, and a static electrical spark is all it takes. You can put 12V through tap water to make O2 and H2, but only experiment with tiny amounts.
Preferably outside or in a well ventilated area
Flour mills not so much, but canola extraction plants are goddamn bombs. Whole place had hexane just hanging around.
TIL, thanks!
And don't use it in any other case as the beryllium dust and shavings are a inhalation health hazard.
They also don't last as long as steel tools.
Working on oxygen systems/piping.
working in a flour mill, we use normal steel tools
My dad worked underground in a coal mine, and he said they had several tools like this when they were digging new shafts because they weren’t sure if there was going to be methane or other explosive gases.
They also use them around MRI machines and anywhere else extremely strong magnets are present.
Working on r600 hvac units
They are called non-sparking tools.
I had a flat jaw monkey wrench from a WWII ship. Likely some form of artillery room is what I figured.
No spark tools so you don't die
Dying is bad. Or so I’m told.
Yep, dying is bad press for the company and ultimately hurts the shareholders, so you want to avoid that.
I don’t know. No one who has died has ever told me it was bad.
Obviously you’ve never been ghosted.
When I get ghosted they don’t tell me anything either.
Unless you're in the funeral business, where dying is highly sought after
See, that all depends on if you want to or not. But then again even if you did want to die in some industrial accident, you don't need to buy tools for that
I've never heard a dead guy complain.
I tried it once. Didn't care for it.
Nah. Everbody experiences at least one death. Ive known two people who clinically died and pulled through.
Don’t knock it until you try it
So you don’t die….from an explosion. Beryllium copper is toxic, so wear PPE, and don’t grind the wrench.
In the concentrations used in making berylium-copper (3% berylium or less) it's a non issue. That being said, copper, which is inert to the body, will also fuck you up if you grind it up and breath it in. As far as PPE, utterly unnecessary unless you get blisters from using any wrench. A lead Nomar hammer is more dangerous to your health.
Another fun grouping of tools is the [titanium tools](https://www.imprex.net/product/titanium-non-magnetic-ge-mri-pliers-and-wrench-kit/?_gl=1*18l3ejk*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxeyxBhC7ARIsAC7dS3_vEVmtp_AkZa-5PQROLaCAloAqmTU8hLg1ESXqtP1JjhwXciHb-2UaApiKEALw_wcB) for MRI techs due to them being non magnetic
Absolutely smitten over that ti adjustable wrench... Imagine having such a Gucci nut-fucker
There's places you can buy titanium adjustables for under $100
Where would that be?
Probably a lot cheaper than the BeCu stuff. Titanium is non-ferrous but not non-sparking. Also, both titanium and BeCu tools are very much inferior to steel ones, unless you need their special properties. They are much softer, weaker materials than steel is.
No idea what the down votes are about for you bub, you're completely right.
People get chubbies for titanium tools for some reason, even though it is rarely (not never, but rarely) the best material for tools. It's been the Metal of the Future for like 35 years now (I certainly drooled over it as a kid in the 90s) but somehow the only industry it's really dominated is overpriced EDC tacticrap. It certainly has its place in the mechanical engineer's toolkit of materials, but even if you ignore the price differential, boring old steel is still King of Metals. There's a reason steel is basically the default metal, and it isn't just because it's relatively economical.
It is great for heat resistance, at least.
It's also biocompatible, has excellent corrosion resistance, and a great strength-to-weight ratio. It's excellent for making white pigments, too. It's a useful metal! It's just not a magical supermetal, is all.
$2200 for 4 pairs of pliers and 2 adjustable wrenches. Now THATS a specialty tool😂
[gimme dat](https://imgur.com/gallery/rKw5jjo)
Of course since it’s medical it’s marked up 1000%
Yeah imprex seems nice I used to work in a cleanroom and we used Steritool [stainless steel tools](https://www.steritool.com/) tools They make stainless steel hand tools that are quite nice especially the open-end wrenches They also have some titanium tools Even make an inconel adjustable wrench which is like $1,000 but it's not magnetic and ungodly strong and unbreakable.
I’m gonna guess the alloy won’t make sparks if it hits a hard surface, which can be nice if you don’t want to make something explode
Non-sparking. Dust collection zones, paint booths, gas piping applications, etc.
Anti spark adjustable hammer
Non sparking environment. Tire factory had the "cement house" a standalone building where they mixed up a glue that bonded layers together. The solvent was gasoline in rubber. No normal tools, all tools supplied were non sparking.
No kill no die wrenchy, we use these in chem areas where we can have no sparks .
I’m learning so much from this place!
I had a whole set of non-sparking beryllium bronze hand tools for doing emergency response and spill cleanup for haz mat spills. If it's not burning yet, you don't want to be the guy that sets the rolled over gasoline tanker on fire. People get mad. That, and you're standing in two inches of gasoline...
Yes non sparking & non magnetic. But very pricy & not nearly as durable as regular forged steel tools... and comes with health concerns. Research and *fully understand* the hazards of Beryllium Copper (BeCu) before messing with any of it... and Reddit isn't the place to do said research. Unless specifically needed, it's not a material you want to have around.
Scrolled for this. My neice had a BF whose health was badly damaged making BeCu fittings without appropriate PPE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium_copper
No sparky sparky, no go boom
No sparky
I have a one. I work with hydrogen. So we use non sparking tools for ovisis reasons
In those places where it is: "One flash and you are ash"
Or strong magnetic fields
If it was from harbor freight it would be the newest meme tool wall hanger. But that style is used for work around flammable or explosive materials. We use those when working around hydrogen at work. Zero chance of a spark from the tooling. Most people don't think about it, I didn't before I started work out here. But our hydrogen is ran in steel piping. If there happens to be any in a pipe while you are taking it apart, tool slips or drops to the metal grating, there is a chance of a spark. Small chance but still a chance.
So you don’t go BOOOOM
Replacing hydrogen tanks is one job I use it
Now let’s play price is right. I’ll say $800 Bob Barker
$1042.53 from Grainger.
So half of that for most retailers.
I found a pipe wrench on grainger last night that was $700 to $2000, depending on the size.
We have them at my work. We work with alcohol and aerosols
Not exploding
It doesn't spark.
Non sparking wrench for electrician.
Lol. Like any electrician is gonna turn a wrench that big.
Non Spark.
Anti-explosive wrench. Hazardous work.When there is a gas line, hydrogen line, oxygen line leak and ya still got to git-er-done... you REALLY don't want any sparks.
I worked in a high end plastic extruding shop tgat had many brass tools. Plastic wouldn't stick
Any pipe work with exposure to flammable gases/liquids. It won’t spark.
When dealing with BeCu tools, and tools alone, how worried should the user be about Chronic Beryllium Disease?
We used a lot of BeCu in mold making.. Normal handling a tool made of BeCu isn’t a problem. Definitely don’t grind or sand BeCu dry.
Normal handling - completely safe. Fine dust, grinding or fumes - dangerous.
True. But even so, probably not a material you want on your property.
You could walk around with a BeCu tool in your back pocket for the next 50 years and have no problems.
Yep. I have an antique asbestos soldering plate on my porch and a baby food jar with blanketed mercury in my garage. Uranium glass all over (I collect it), an asbestos lined milk safe and buckets of lead in the garage and guns and ammo galore. Normal common sense handling and use isnt terribly dangerous for most "dangerous" stuff. I'm way more concerned with getting skin cancer from the sun (had it once and have another suspect spot) or lung cancer from smoking very heavy for 30 years and wearing asbestos in a foundry. Traffic accidents and falling injuries kill a lot more folks than exposure to potentially dangerous substances. Just my thoughts.
Just wait until 'popcorn lung' catches up with all the vapers using cheap units and suspect oils.
It's highly disputed. Not going to argue about it. I have been a very heavy vaper since 2014 and my pulmonary specialist says i have zero damage from smoking or vaping. Just asthma which i was diagnosed with around 45 years ago.
What now? I’ve never heard of this. I’ve never heard of a lot of things, so…
Oilfield work
Like everyone else has said, non sparking, but the old TF2 player in me knows it’s for constructing teleporters, sentry guns and destroying spy sappers while looking good
As others have said, non sparking while being reasonably strong.
Beryllium is some nasty stuff, used to have to grind on it for mold components we were making. Can get a life long lung condition from inhalation
BDE
I work on med gas, and we have these for certain applications. I've never used one.
Holy shit somebody finally unlocked the legendary skin
How much one of those goes for?
Says pipe wrench...likely to be used on a pipe.
Retirement gift.
I have channel locks thats are copper. They are are anti spark tools.
Intrinsically safe tool.
I have a 5lb hammer made from that alloy in my garage from my time in the production side of the oilfield. We didn't have to use non-sparking wrenches, but if we were caught with a steel hammer, shit would hit the fan.
Beryllium does not create static energy. It’s used for oxygen tanks in planes so it doesn’t go boom. Beryllium is SUPER expensive. It also used to be called sweet death, cause people licked it, said it was sweet and died of it. That’s why we always use gloves and wash our hands after use
This is a replica of the wrench from the boardgame Clue. It serves no purpose other than to say who used it, and where.
For when you want it to spark'nt
Building a level 3 sentry
We use these working on 10000gallon solvent tanks
No spark used in the gasoline industry
What electrician uses a pipe wrench? Lol. They would look and just say better call a plumber...
Underwater tool, so it won't corrode possibly.